Claremont Graduate University (CGU) today announced Michael E. Rossi as chairman of its board of trustees effective July 1, 2013.

“As a leading research university, we are indebted to the real-world perspective and involvement of our trustees,” stated President Deborah Freund. “Mike Rossi’s accomplishments and his involvement with CGU over two decades underscore his commitment to promoting the best in education. We are excited to begin a new era under his leadership as chairman of the board of trustees.”

Rossi first joined CGU Board of Trustees in 1992, serving until 1998. He re-joined in May 2009, and served as a member of the Trusteeship and Investments Committees, and co-chaired the ad hoc committee on Information and Technology. He was most recently the chair of the Development Committee of the board.

“I feel honored to work with such dedicated and accomplished members on CGU’s Board of Trustees. The trustees are eager to continue carrying forward CGU’s eight decades of outstanding research and teaching,” said Rossi. “We are proud to represent such a distinguished faculty, and we are whole-heartedly committed to maintaining a world-class educational experience for our students.”

As well as being a trustee of CGU, Rossi serves on the Advisory Board of Shorenstein Properties LLC, the Special Olympics Committee of Northern California, and on the International Leadership Council of the Monterey Institute of International Studies. He is also a senior advisor to the San Francisco 49ers.

Rossi was appointed Senior Advisor for Jobs and Business Development in the Office of the California Governor Jerry Brown in August of 2011, and chairman of the California Workforce Investment Board in August of 2012. Additionally, he serves as a board member of the California High Speed Rail Authority.

From 2005 to 2008, Rossi served as a senior advisor and member at Cerberus Capital Management, L.P. and as chairman and chief executive officer of Aozora Bank. From 2007 to 2008 he served as chairman of GMAC Residential Capital, LLC. He spent many years with BankAmerica as vice chairman and chief risk officer and was the chairman of its Fiduciary and Investment Policy Committee from 1993 to 1997. Previously, he was the bank’s chief credit officer and held numerous executive positions including leading BankAmerica's Commercial Banking, Global Private Bank, Asia, Latin America, Commercial Real Estate, Corporate Real Estate, Personal and Corporate Trust and Cash Management divisions.

Rossi has an extensive record of service in non-profit and for-profit organizations: former director of North Hawaii Community Hospital, BAWAG Bank (Austria), Pulte Homes, American Bankers Association, the Monterey County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and the American Graduate School of International Management. He is the former chairman of the board of the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and served on the President's Campaign Cabinet for University of California at Berkeley, and as a director of the University of California at Berkeley Art Museum. Additionally, he served on the boards of the Del Webb Corporation, BlueLinx Corporation, San Francisco Opera, National Urban League, Union Pacific Resources, Lifesavers, American Diabetes Association of California and the United Way of Northern California. He was the president of the Bankers Association for Foreign Trade Board, and a member of its nominating committee.

He will succeed retiring Chairman of the CGU Board of Trustees Donald Baker, who will continue as a trustee.

“It has been my great pleasure to serve as a trustee of Claremont Graduate University and as chair of the board of trustees during these past four years as CGU transitioned to a new president and revised its business model and academic organization,” said retiring Chair Donald Baker. “Under the leadership of President Freund and now Chair Mike Rossi, I know CGU will continue its decades of innovation and leadership in graduate research and education.”

“Everyone at CGU is grateful for Chairman Don Baker’s skilled leadership, both as a trustee and as chairman of the board,” said President Freund. “We are delighted that we will continue benefiting from his keen advice and dedication for years to come as a CGU trustee.”

About Claremont Graduate University

Founded in 1925, Claremont Graduate University is the graduate university of the Claremont Colleges. Our five academic schools conduct leading-edge research and award masters and doctoral degrees in 24 disciplines. Because the world’s problems are not simple nor easily defined, diverse faculty and students research and study across the traditional discipline boundaries to create new and practical solutions for the major problems plaguing our world. A Southern California based graduate school devoted entirely to graduate research and study, CGU boasts a low student-to-faculty ratio.